Peek at My Week (Sep. 2-8) and September Art Challenges and Inspirations

I feel a little ashamed that my last post was a Peek at my Week post, and here I am with yet another. Sorry for the lack of variety right now. However, at the end of this one, I've included the art challenges and inspirations for the month as an added bonus. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad since we've been on vacation. But, I'm hoping to have a little more for you before the end of this week. Yet, we'll see how this second week of vacation goes before I make any grand promises.

The week was a bit of a roller coaster as it began with this warning. 
I was in the process of cleaning the camper when this alert popped up on my phone. I had heard vague rumblings that there was a storm in the Gulf, but nothing solid. And, then there was THAT! And, that was Monday.

We did a few storm-prep tasks around the house, but generally just kept packing for the trip. I don't think Gordon ever hit hurricane status as they had predicted, thank goodness. As the storm began to really hit Tuesday evening, we chowed down on this comfort food dinner of slow cooker chicken and mushroom pot pie. It absolutely hit the spot.
There were buckets and buckets of rain for a couple of days. Being inside gave me the opportunity to work on the blog some. If you haven't noticed, I did a whole huge blog re-vamp. I'd love to know what you think of the new look.

Wednesday morning, we surveyed the damage from Tropical Storm Gordon.
Patches of our elephant ears were a little worse for the wear.

And, the pool was overfull (Pat actually drained some of the water once). There was a TON of rain!

When we headed out to pick up a few camping supplies, we saw that a riverside park near our house was underwater as Fish River flooded its banks.
That drive is the entrance to the park. Where you see water is usually the parking lot!

This is when we really became worried about our camping trip. We were headed to Blackwater River State Park, just over an hour from home. And, we weren't sure what the river would look like there. Reports from the rangers said that the campsite was fine, but the trails were under water and the river was engorged. It made us seriously question the whole trip. But, we'd been prepping for WEEKS and decided to just go ahead and go for it. We're so glad we did!
The campsite was indeed in great condition. Though, we did find some of the trails under water. 

We had planned to tube float on the Blackwater, but because of the flooding, a smaller tributary - Juniper - was all that was open and only for canoes and kayaks.
It was still a magical time! I adore being on the water and the peace of a river float. 

On Saturday, we found that the Blackwater River had receded more at the park so we were able to wade in it.
That sandbar had not been visible the day before! And, the water's current was less swift. 

Of course, since it was a Saturday in the "Fall", there was football to be watched.
We created a man-cave of sorts under our friends' camper awning using tarps. With a hotspot and an iPad, we streamed ESPN and watched Bama win their game. 

All in all, we're so glad that we didn't let Tropical Storm Gordon dampen our plans. Now, we just pray that those in the path of Florence are safe!

As for other inspirations, the camp and storm preparations kept me pretty busy, but here are a few.

  • Sadie Seasongoods shared how to upcycled thrift store vases into DIY Japanese Fishing Floats. I think the results are pretty awesome. 
  • I've got another Index Card a Day video up on YouTube. You can watch ICAD 39 being created. 

Now for a healthy list of Inspiration and Challenges for the month.


  • Paper Artsy has a challenge in progress to create Artist Trading Coins. This is a newish form and the post has loads of information and examples. But, you'll need to hurry to get your contribution in as the challenge ends September 16th. 
  • The We're All Ears monthly inspiration from Earrings Everday is an Ode to Autumn.  Erin sure does a great job making you feel the inspiration. The reveal date is September 21st.
  • Sarajo is back with her Honey-Do List inspiration from her husband, Eric. This month, he's selected a photo from their recent trip. September 24th is the reveal. 
  • Facet Jewelry has a Septemeber challenge too. The theme is Circle Takes the Square. You have until Septemeber 26th to add your piece. But, voting on the contributions starts on the 14th. 
  • Art Bead Scene hasn't put up the post explaining this month's inspiration. However, here's the ABS list of Monthly Challenges where you can see the amazing art selected for this month and the rest of the year. 
  • I'm smitten with Art Elements' Septemeber theme: Faerie. I've always had a thing for fairies, so this speaks to me. I like that Art Elements opens the challenge to any medium. Make sure you leave a comment on the post with your blog address and e-mail that you want to participate. And, the reveal is the 30th. 
  • If you're a member of the Artisans Create Together Facebook Page, you can enter their Leaves and Pods challenge for the month. You have until the end of the month to add your piece. 
As always, if you know of any challenge or inspirations that I may have missed, please don't hesitate to let me know!

And, I hope you have a fantastic week!

9 comments:

  1. I'm glad your camping trip was a success in spite of the storm! Thanks for posting the pot pie recipe. Looks delicious and I see you made biscuits instead of the puff pastry. That's a good idea and we have a bag o Pillsbury biscuits out in the freezer! The question is, do we have any chicken out there or must I go to the store? Or, can I make it with pork chops???? I'm going to try pork chops. Ok, off to the kitchen I go.

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    1. Jinjer, I actually did use the puff pastry, they just turned out looking like biscuits. Ha!! I bet biscuits might have been better with their buttery taste. The puff pastry has such a neutral flavor. Best of luck with the pork chops! I bet they'll do well in the slow cooker too. Enjoy! :D

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    2. Interesting about the puff pastry! Well, I made it yesterday with the pork chops and it was deeeeelicious so I can imagine how yummy it is with chicken! The biscuits were ok with it but next time I think I just want it piled on top of baked or mashed potato. LOL We had the leftovers for lunch. Definitely saving that recipe!

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    3. Yay! So glad it worked out. I'm always happy to find a really good slow cooker recipe. It's so nice to start a meal early in the day and not to have to worry with fixing it later. Ha! Thanks so much for dropping by!

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  2. I'm glad you didn't cancel your camping vacation! I've never been out in a camper, just a tent and it was ages ago in summer by the sea, some of us even spent the night sleeping on the beach :) Those were the days! I realized I missed a month on my blog, I didn't post anything in August - shame on me, because I have some drafts I just needed to take pictures for :( But I had a great short vacation and this is what matters more!

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    1. We're really glad we didn't cancel too. It worked out perfectly. We haven't camped as much as we'd like as the house has really consumed so much of our time. And, getting to spend time in our pool really makes it hard to want to go anywhere else, especially this time of the year. I'm glad you got a little vacation. And, no worries about not posting. Your readers will be here when you get back to it! :D

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  3. I hope you had a good trip despite the rains and flooding. It seems like its been raining all over the world. Artisan coins seems like an intriguing concept . I might do a project with my students based on it. Thanks for sharing

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    1. Divya, We really did have a nice time. But, it's always so nice to return home too. Isn't that coin idea a cool one? I'm so glad it inspired you! That was totally my aim.

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  4. I'm glad you stayed safe and were able to have a peaceful vacation! We are watching Hurricane Florence now since my husband and I finally made it into our new southern home in SC just in time for hurricane season! You never know how these storms are going to turn out.

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